MEDFORD, N.Y., March 29, 2019 – Though they out hit the Sharks, Monroe Express baseball fell to Suffolk County Community College, 9-2, on Friday at the Medford Athletic Complex.
 
After the Express went in order in the top of the first, Suffolk County tagged Andy Rodriguez for three runs in the bottom of the frame to take an early 3-0 lead. Corey Tingo led off the inning with a single, and gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead when he came around to score on Andrew Fenton's RBI triple. After Jacob Ford walked, Fenton scored a wild pitch, and Ford later scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0 Sharks.
 
The Express cut into SUNY Suffolk's lead in the top of the third. Harold Valdez drew a one-out walk, stole second and advanced to third on Juan Jorge's single to put runners at the corners for Jesus Tejada. Jorge stole second before Tejada knocked in Valdez with an RBI single, cutting the Sharks' lead to 3-1.
 
Suffolk went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third, but answered back in the fourth. Christopher Amato drew a walk to lead off the fourth, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on Jenfry Perez Castillo's sacrifice fly to extend the Sharks' lead to 4-1.
 
In the top of the fifth, Tejada knocked in another run for the Express, scoring Valdez with an RBI double and cutting Suffolk County's lead to 4-2.
 
But after Suffolk County extended their lead back to four with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Sharks' pitching combined to limit the Express to just two hits the rest of the way.
 
Suffolk County added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to extend their lead to 9-2, before finishing off the victory with a 1-2-3 top of the ninth.
 
Rodriguez (0-3) took the loss for Monroe, who fall to 1-9 (0-2 Region XV) on the year, while Ciaran McGinnis (1-0) earned the win for the Sharks, who move to 7-4 (5-1 Region XV) on the season.
 
Tejada led the Express at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Valdez scored both of the Express' runs, going 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored.
 
The Express will wrap up their four-game set against Suffolk County Community College on Saturday, March 30 when they host the Sharks in a doubleheader at Roberto Clemente State Park beginning at 12 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has nine varsity and junior varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.

For more information about the Monroe Express, please visit us at www.MonroeExpress.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Express), Twitter (@MonroeExpress) and Instagram (@MonroeExpress).